This invention relates to molecular sensors, and more particularly to nanochannel sensors and methods for constructing nanochannel sensors.
Biosensors may be constructed by integrating nanochannels into complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chips. These nanochannels may exhibit diameters of a few microns for cell and bacteria sensing. They may also range from tens of nanometers to a fraction of a nanometer in diameter for virus and biological macromolecule sensing.
Pairs of electrodes may line biosensor nanochannels and may be used to detect such objects as cells, cell fragments, bacteria, viruses and biological macromolecules in the nanochannels. The electrodes detect the objects in the solutions flowing within the nanochannels. The electrode pairs may also be used to generate electric fields in and around nanochannels. The electric fields may be used to manipulate charged objects in the solution within the nanochannels, for example aligning molecules with the length of the nanochannel, holding molecules in places, or moving molecules along the nanochannels.